Tools and resources

Air pollution is the single greatest environmental cause of preventable disease and premature death in the world today. It ranks alongside unhealthy diets, inadequate physical activity, and tobacco smoking, as a major global risk factor for mortality. Globally, air pollution is responsible for approximately 7 million premature deaths each year. In Australia annual mortality is conservatively estimated to be more than 3,200 with a cost greater than AUD $6.2 billion from years of life lost. However, the full health and social impacts are much more extensive. This report explains why the effects of air pollution are so far reaching and, equally, why coordinated action to make air safer is one of the best investments in Australian health.

Smoke is an important health risk associated with bushfires. Here is what you can do before, during and after a bushfire to stay safe.

Watch a recording of our 9 October webinar co-hosted with The Heart Foundation featuring two of Australia’s leading cardiologists: Professor Garry Jennings AO (Chief Medical Officer of the Heart Foundation) and Professor Kazuaki Negishi (Head of Medicine at Sydney Medical School Nepean, Sydney University). The event was facilitated by Professor Jane Heyworth from the University of Western Australia.

In this submission, the Centre for Safe Air provides expert advice regarding the 'Non-Road Diesel Engines Noxious Emission Standards Impact Analysis'.

Given the Centre’s remit, our response to the Strategy is provided in the context of our core focus on clean air. In principle, the Centre supports much of the Strategy content. The Strategy rightly attempts to tackle issues related to the health sector as an energy user and greenhouse gas emissions contributor, as well as the broader need for the health sector to advocate for and engage on programs which relate to public health protection from the effects of climate change. However, each of these require very different solutions, policies, programs and actions. The Centre feels that the Strategy, in draft form, omits important detail from both of these domains.

There is clear evidence that long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes

We've updated our factsheet on the health impacts of bushfire smoke to incorporate practical considerations to protect yourself from bushfire smoke during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While we all love the warmth and nostalgia that an open fire brings, the reality is that the smoke it produces damages our health. In our newly released factsheet, we have outlined how smoke from wood heaters affects health and what can be done about it.

Air pollution is an important contributor to the burden of disease in Australia, linked to lung disease, heart disease and stroke. Inspired by the health star rating system for food, which enables consumers to compare the relative healthiness of similar food products, we developed a five-star rating system that recognises the attributes of air quality that promote better health. The aims of the project are: to enable people across Australia see how air quality varies; and to stimulate thought and discussion about opportunities for air quality and health improvement in Australia. A summary report can be accessed here

Wood heater smoke significantly contributes to air pollution in Australia, impacting the health of many Australians. Current approaches to mitigate the risk that wood heater smoke poses to human health are inadequate. In this new position paper from CAR, several policy options are proposed to help reduce wood heater smoke to protect the health of vulnerable Australians. Professor Fay Johnston, from the University of Tasmania's Menzies Institute for Medical Research, led the development of the paper and said, "It's time to put in place measures to address the problem."